#alice lee
Maui Council votes 7-2 to raises fines for loud car stereos, drops equipment seizure
The Maui County Council voted 7-2 on Friday to raise fines for loud vehicle sound systems, advancing a measure that drops an earlier proposal to seize stereo equipment from repeat offenders.
Maui County zoning code rewrite could shape future island communities
The Maui County Department of Planning outlined its multiyear effort Wednesday to rewrite the County’s outdated Title 19 zoning code — a rulebook that shapes nearly every aspect of how and where homes, businesses and farms can be built across Maui Nui.
Mayor Bissen signs $1.61 billion fiscal 2027 budget into law
Mayor Richard Bissen signed into law Friday morning an approximately $1.61 billion fiscal year 2027 budget, officially closing a public and Maui County Council review process that began March 25.
Maui Council panel rejects charter amendment to set aside transient accommodations tax for climate fund
The Maui County Council’s ongoing review of 14 proposed charter amendments continued Tuesday, with members balking at a proposal to set aside 20% of the County’s annual transient accommodations tax revenue to fund climate plan initiatives.
Maui noise control bill takes aim at loud music in cars by proposing increased fines
An updated version of Bill 119 (2025) would for the first time in more than 35 years amend the Maui County Code on noise control by increasing fines.
Maui Council passes $1.6 billion budget; adds security funding after terroristic threatening arrest
The Maui County Council gave final approval Thursday to a $1.6 billion fiscal year 2027 budget, sending the spending plan to Mayor Richard Bissen’s desk, but not before adding $50,000 for Maui County campus security.
Maui Council committee votes to discharge vehicle noise fine bill; some enforcement skepticism expressed
A Maui County Council committee voted unanimously last week to send a bill increasing fines for vehicle noise violations to the full Council, even as some members questioned whether the measure would have any real-world impact.
New hotel zoning clears Council committee, 6-1, despite planning commissions’ opposition
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 6-1 Tuesday to advance new hotel zoning districts for thousands of short-term vacation rentals facing a county-mandated phase-out—overriding unanimous rejection from all three county planning commissions.
Hoʻonani Village project recommended for first reading passage by full Council; calls for deferral set aside
A Maui County Council committee voted 5-1 Wednesday to recommend passage of two land use bills that would clear the way for the proposed Hoʻonani Village mixed-use development on former sugarcane fields near Kahului Airport, overriding deferral recommendations from three county departments with concerns about infrastructure shortfalls.
Agricultural subdivision notice bill advances 5-2
A bill to require landowners to notify agricultural lessees before filing subdivision permits advanced out of the Maui County Council Housing and Land Use Committee by a vote of 5-2 on Wednesday. Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Member Kauanoe Batangan dissented.
Maui Council committee advances Kaʻehu Bay purchase over Native Hawaiian family’s objections
The Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday to recommend full Council approval of the county’s proposed purchase of a contested Kaʻehu Bay shoreline parcel in Waiehu, setting aside calls from a Native Hawaiian family for deferral pending further consultation.
Maui Council panel OKs $240K in additional legal fees for wildfire litigation
The Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize an additional $240,000 in legal fees for Los Angeles-based special counsel Meyers Nave, bringing the firm’s total authorized compensation to $740,000 for work tied to litigation arising from the August 2023 Lahaina wildfires.
Maui Council advances $1.6 billion budget, splits 5-4 on mayoral spending limits
The Maui County Council unanimously passed a $1.6 billion fiscal year 2027 budget on first reading Friday, approving a contested shoreline stabilization grant after a lengthy discussion and splitting 5-4 on election-year spending limits on the mayor’s office.
Key Maui Council incumbents officially commit to race for re-election
With three weeks left before the June 2 candidate filing deadline, the Maui County candidate line-ups are taking shape. Two incumbents — West Maui Council Member Tamara Paltin and East Maui Council Member Shane Sinenci — have officially committed to campaigns for re-election while others haven’t jumped in officially, yet. Five council members — Kauanoe […]
Maui Council shakeup: Chair Lee won’t seek re-election to Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū seat
Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee said Wednesday evening that she will not seek re-election this year. Instead, the veteran council member is throwing her support behind Marvin Moniz, a longtime state Department of Transportation airports manager, to succeed her in the Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū residency seat.
Maui Council Budget Committee slightly trims mayor’s $1.616 billion budget
The Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee completed its review of Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget this week, unanimously adopting a revised spending plan of approximately $1.608 billion.
Water-conservation ordinance in effect; recent rain highlights infrastructure needs
Council Chair Alice L. Lee reminded Maui County residents that the county’s new water-conservation ordinance took effect last month, emphasizing that responsible water use remains critical despite recent heavy rainfall.
Budget panel weighs department cuts amid property tax certification, stable revenue
Maui County Council Member Kauanoe Batangan has proposed an across-the-board 1.25% budget cut for non-first-responder departments that would yield somewhat more than $5 million in savings from Mayor Richard Bissen’s fiscal 2027 $1.61 billion budget proposal.
Resolution to celebrate 50th anniversary of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, rescheduled to April 17
The resolution proposes to recognize the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana for 50 years of dedication to aloha ‘āina in bringing an end to the bombing of the island.
Maui Council confirms directors of Planning and Human Concerns departments
The Maui County Council voted 8-0 Friday to confirm Jacky Takakura as planning director and 6-2 to appoint Margaret Willis as director of the Department of Human Concerns.
